The New Orleans Saints saw five players selected for the 2019 Pro Bowl, which is great recognition. But it could be better. Here are five more Saints who should have been voted into the all-star game’s initial roster.
Running back Alvin Kamara
The most obvious omission is superstar running back Alvin Kamara. Kamara sits among the league leaders is all the major volume stats – yards from scrimmage, touchdowns, the works – while also maintaining his sky-high efficiency. But he shares his conference with other great players like Todd Gurley, Saquon Barkley, and Ezekiel Elliott, and that’s taken Kamara out of the picture. He deserves a spot to start and there’s case to be made for him over any of those three young stars.
Kicker Wil Lutz
It’s not enough to score more points than anyone else, apparently. That’s what Saints kicker Wil Lutz has done. He hasn’t attempted as many field goals as the NFC representative (New York Giants kicker Aldrick Rosas, who hit on 28 of 29 tries with four from more than 50 yards out), sure, but since when do details matter with Pro Bowl voting? All the numbers and stats usually get thrown out the window, and it’s a shame that the kicker fans voted for more than any other will be left out in the cold.
Linebacker Demario Davis
The guy who revitalized a vulnerable Saints run defense can’t get into the Pro Bowl, but Minnesota Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr can after getting roasted in every prime time appearance? Kamara and Gurley made mincemeat of Barr with the world watching, but he’s a former first round pick who’s been in the Pro Bowl before, so that’s enough for voters. Davis has taken on a huge leadership role for New Orleans on and off the field and is everything you’d want out of a modern NFL linebacker. He deserves that recognition.
Right tackle Ryan Ramczyk
All Ryan Ramczyk has done all year is destroy opponents and keep quarterback Drew Brees clean. That should be enough to get Pro Bowl consideration. But he’s been held to a different standard, dinged for one poor outing against a Defensive Player of the Year runner-up in Dallas Cowboys pass rusher Demarcus Lawrence, and left by the wayside while injured teammate Terron Armstead was let in. That’s not to knock Armstead – but shouldn’t the player who’s stayed on the field and arguably played at a higher level get greater consideration?
Defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins
Cameron Jordan has a point: there hasn’t been an interior lineman not named Aaron Donald playing better than Sheldon Rankins the last month. Rankins has developed into a monstrous pass rusher in his third season, killing blockers with a nasty spin move and spiking plays in the backfield before they can even develop. He’s been a big part of the Saints’ top-ranked run defense in addition to his big sack numbers, even if he hasn’t bagged many tackles for loss himself. He was robbed.